Saturday, March 29, 2014

The following are photos of a diarama that I initially put together for the 50th Anniversary back in 1991. I've used it every year during a 90 minute presentation at Green Mountain High School in Lakewood Colorado. There are over 100 1/700 scale models representing virtually every ship found in the harbor on 12/7/41. This includes Battleships down to Garbage Scows! Need to complete about 4 small minesweepers to complete the entire fleet. Ironically nearly all of the original models I used were made in Japan. With plastic and balsa, modifications were made using Janes Fighting Ships 1939. Finally in the last ten years I have located some new companies here in the states to complete more. It has grown over the years to this present version:

Ford Island is in the center with the sub base in the upper right corner; battleship row top center and naval yard right center

Battleship Row from the NW. BB Nevada is at the left end followed l-r by Arizona, Tenneesee, West Virginia, Maryland and Oklahoma. The tanker Neosho is to the right with the Naval Yard at the top and Sub Base/Cincpac upper left corner

Closer view of Battleship Row

Floating Drydock with DD Shaw and to the right, Dry Dock #1 with BB Pennsylvania and DDs Cassin and Downes. The odd looking objct to the left was a dreging platform

The Naval Yard with numerous Cruisers, Destroyers and assorted Auxliaries

Submarine Base with Cincpac located in large building to the right. If you watched the film Pearl Harbor, you may recognize the large tower seen in the upper right. This was used for drive training.

Sorry about the lack of clarity here; you can make out the first Japanese Kate torpedo planes in the foreground making theri final approach on BB Row. That's Oklahoma in a terrible location, soon to be struck by at least 5 torpedoes leading to her early capsizing

View of Navy Yard from the east with BB California top center

Luke Field on the west side of Ford Island. None of these aircraft made it into the air during the attack.

Final shot again of BB Row. The large building seen just below BB Arizona was the Officer Bachelor's Quarters.

About Me

I'm a retired History teacher of 34 years from Colorado. I've been gaming since I purchased my first figures way back in 1975, almost prehistoric I know. I have over the years expanded my collection to cover many different periods (I LOVE history) to the tune of some 70,000! A lot of painting I know. Now with my fifth year of retirement, I get to devote as much time as I want to my passion. I have become part of a club that meets weekly at a local hobby store where we share in our common interest of gaming with minatures.